A Different Angle
by sammy1026
Summary: After getting nowhere with Steve, Danny voices his concerns about Billy to Catherine


Huge thanks again to Mari for her help with jersey-speak. When she requested a Danny/Catherine conversation I couldn't refuse.

This one got a little unexpectedly long.

Catherine tapped softly on the glass door of the HQ conference room before pushing it open partway and leaning in.

"Hey, Danny, is Steve around?"

Danny glanced up from the disorganized jumble of files spread out on the table in front of him that he was attempting, with limited success thus far, to return to some sort of logical order. "He ran over to HPD to take care of some paperwork. He shouldn't be long. Did you need something?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by and see if he wanted to grab some lunch."

Danny noticed she was dressed casually so he knew she wasn't working, which hopefully meant Billy wasn't lurking in the parking lot again waiting to run into Steve.

"We actually picked up something at Kamekona's about an hour ago. Sorry," he said distractedly, returning to the task in front of him.

"No problem. I'll just stick around and check with him anyway. He may still be hungry."

Something in her tone of voice caught Danny's attention.

"Ok let me guess. When you say 'lunch' you're really not talking about…that is to say…there's no actual food involved here, am I right?"

Catherine grinned as she came the rest of the way into the room. "Let it go, Danny. There are some things you'd rather not know."

"You know what…you're right…. But I can tell you this.…I'm never riding in the back seat of that truck again." Danny shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to fight off the mental picture invading his field of vision.

"Why just the back seat?" Catherine teased.

It was so easy to get Danny going.

"You know what….don't start. I'm already half afraid to sit anywhere at your house."

Catherine smirked and Danny continued, desperate for a change of topic. He had actually been wanting a chance to talk to Catherine about Billy, and her new job situation. Especially since he hadn't been able to make any headway with Steve on the matter.

He wasn't sure exactly when he had become the self-appointed, go-to advice guy for the Rollins-McGarrett relationship, but it was a position he had found himself in quite often, especially over the last year and a half that Catherine had been assigned to Pearl full-time.

Steve had become used to his partner's opinion on his love life, but Catherine was a different story. Danny rarely broached the topic with her. But desperate times require desperate measures so he took a deep breath and dived in.

"I'm shocked the Big Kahuna actually let you out of his sight for the day. Couldn't he find any work to keep you busy…and…you know….close?"

Catherine leaned back against the glass door. "We're starting a job for a new client tomorrow. She wants us to tail her husband. She thinks he's cheating on her."

"Tailing a cheating husband? Wow. That's a big step down from body guarding some visiting bigwig."

"It's a new business, Danny. It will take some time to get established. In the meantime, suspicious spouses keep the money coming in."

"Don't get me wrong. I'm sure the idea of sitting in cramped quarters…with you….watching, and probably listening as well, to some scumbag crap on his marriage vows late into the night sounds like a great idea to Billy. Kind of like a live action porn tape."

"Danny, be nice," Catherine warned.

"Sorry, Cath. I gotta call 'em like I see 'em." He pushed the files aside and focused his full attention on Catherine.

"OK look, it's clear that you have a problem with me taking this job. Wanna get it off your chest?"

Danny indicated the empty chair across the table from him and Catherine sat down. "First let me be perfectly clear. I have no problem with you at all, Catherine. And in theory I have no problem with the job. Can I tell you what does bother me?"

"Could I stop you?"

"Probably not."

"Then by all means, say what's on your mind."

"It's your new boss I have a problem with. Mr. Big Kahuna."

Catherine ignored his dig at their code names. She knew they were ridiculous, but it hadn't seemed worth doing battle over when Billy had first told her what they were.

"And that problem is…?"

"That problem is that…contrary to what he says, he hired you for one reason….because he wants to remove the ex from in front of your girlfriend title."

"Gee thanks, Danny…" Catherine's voice held a slightly hurt tone. She crossed her arms defensively over her chest.

"That's not what I meant," Danny defended himself. " I am in no saying you aren't qualified for the job. I would never say that. More importantly I don't think that and you know it. Of course you're qualified for the job. But the cold, hard truth is that Billy didn't hire you solely based on your qualifications."

"You don't know Billy like I do. Or for that matter like Steve does. He's a good guy, Danny. He's good at what he does. He's the kind of guy you want watching your back if things go bad."

"Yeah,yeah…integrity and character…I've heard the whole speech," Danny waved her off.

"It's all true. I appreciate that you care enough to be worried. I really do. But there's nothing to be concerned about here."

Despite her irritation Catherine had to smile to herself. She knew that Danny often made observations about her and Steve's relationship to Steve, but he rarely talked to her about it. Billy must be really getting under his skin.

"This isn't the Navy. You're in a totally different situation now," Danny pointed out. "There is no chain of command…..No one looking over his shoulder…..keeping him honest. He doesn't answer to anyone. He is in control of your time and your work environment. He can twist things around and create a problem where there isn't one. And you will never see it coming until it's too late."

"I can handle Billy." Catherine's slightly clipped tone made Danny think he might be pushing his luck but he was on a roll and was determined to have his say.

"He wants you back, Catherine." He got out of his chair and began pacing the length of the table and back, his arms moving animatedly as he talked. "He can say all the right things about this being just about the job but he's full of crap. He wants to cause problems between you and Steve so he can ride in and be your knight on a white horse."

"You think I don't know that?" Catherine's voice held an edge of anger that stopped Danny in his tracks. He turned towards her, a look of astonishment on his face.

"So…wait….let me get this straight…..you're saying you know he wants you back…..that he's planning on destroying your relationship with Steve…and you don't care?! You took the job anyway?!"

Danny looked at her in astonishment, hands on hips.

"I did not say I don't care, Danny," Catherine ground out. "What I'm saying is that I can handle it."

"But why would you even take the job to begin with? That's the goofiest thing I ever heard. You're….and I really can't believe I'm saying this…..just as stupid as Steve is about this whole thing."

Catherine took a deep breath to regain her composure. She knew that Danny was only so worked up because he was concerned. And truth is it felt good to know that someone actually cared enough about both her and Steve to get involved.

She pointed to the chair he had vacated minutes earlier and he sat back down. He looked at her, patiently awaiting an answer.

"If I turned down every job, or every assignment, or every opportunity that I was offered at least in part because some guy thought he might get a little something something on the side—I would never have gotten very far."

"Catherine…."

"No, Danny. Listen to me. I grew up in a Navy family. I wanted to go to the Naval Academy from the time I was old enough to understand what it was. But my father…he wanted me to choose another career."

"Why? I thought most military fathers wanted their kids to follow in their footsteps."

"As much as my dad loved the Navy, he knew how tough it could be for a woman. My first year at the Academy the male midshipmen outnumbered the females almost 10 to 1. And a big percentage of those men treated us like we were taking a slot that should have gone to another guy. Not just me. All the female midshipmen. We had two choices. Let it ruin us or let it make us stronger."

"And in what should be a surprise to exactly no one who has ever met you, you chose to get stronger."

Catherine smiled as the tension in the room eased. "I did. But not all of the other women were as lucky. Some of them couldn't take the pressure and washed out. I put my head down, and I worked harder than anybody else, and I studied, and I trained, and I ignored every lewd comment, every "accidental" pat on the ass and every eyebrow wiggle that went along with an invitation to join a study group."

"And eventually you won them over?"

Catherine smiled. "A lot of them. But not all. Because this isn't one of those rom-coms you love so much where everyone hugs it out and everything ends up happy in the end."

"I do not love them," Danny insisted. "I just happen to watch a lot of them because Grace loves them. Which…by the way…I was hoping she would grow out of…the sooner the better. But from what I know about your cinematic tastes that may not be gonna happen."

"You can tell me the truth, Danny. Do you love them just a little?" Catherine looked at him skeptically. "Grace told me you've watched The Notebook at least 5 more times since the night you watched it with us."

"They all end the same," Danny grumbled.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Just go on with your story."

"Fine, but we're coming back to the movie thing."

"Of course we are."

"There were still guys who didn't think I belonged there, even after I proved myself over and over. But you know what? I didn't care. What they thought was their problem. I couldn't let it affect me. I had set a goal to graduate with honors and I did. And once I graduated I pursued a spot in Naval Intelligence, and onboard an aircraft carrier, even though I knew I was signing up for more of the same."

"I imagine it wasn't easy."

"I'm not trying to bash men, or the Navy culture, or get you to feel sorry for me. I love the Navy, but it's still very much a boys club. I knew that going in. I learned to thrive in that environment. And while the culture is definitely getting better there's still a long way to go. What I'm trying to say is that I'm used to men who want something from me that I have absolutely no intention of giving them. I learned how to handle them a long time ago."

"Why put up with it?"

"What's the option, Danny? Restrict myself to jobs where I only work with other women? There aren't exactly a lot of them out there, especially in my field."

Danny opened his mouth to speak and realized he didn't really know what to say. He had so breezily told Steve they needed to find Catherine a testosterone-free workplace, but he had never really stopped to consider how difficult that might be.

"I'm just trying to make you understand, Danny, that I am not blind to what Billy wants. He made it obvious from first time I saw him again at Pearl. He asked me to dinner. I turned him down and said I was seeing someone. But he made sure I knew it was a standing offer if I changed my mind."

"Yet you took the job anyway," Danny struggled to understand.

"Yes, I did. Because this is a temporary thing. I appreciate you looking out for me, and for Steve, but this too shall pass. I'm setting very clear boundaries with Billy. Eventually he'll get tired of trying, realize nothing is ever going to happen between us, and move on. Then we can get on with being friends and working together to build this company."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure. I can handle Billy."

"Maybe you can. But can Steve?"

"What do you mean?"

"Billy has clearly decided that of the two of you—Steve is the limpy gazelle."

"The what?"

"The limpy gazelle. The one that can't run fast enough and ends up lion food."

Catherine looked at him, her forehead crinkled in confusion.

Don't you ever watch the animal channel?" he asked.

"Not really. No. But apparently you do."

"Grace has to watch a lot of nature documentaries for school."

"You blame an awful lot of your entertainment choices on Grace."

"Shut up," he said, his words softened by the smile on his face.

"I'm telling Steve you called him a limpy gazelle."

"We've gotten completely off the point here. Billy Boy is trying to turn the heat up under Steve, hoping to get a reaction."

"He won't get one," Catherine said confidently.

"I think you might be underestimating him. He managed to get Steve to convince you that you taking the job was a good idea in the first place. So obviously he has some idea of what buttons to push."

"Danny, Steve knows all about my relationship with Billy. And why it never really worked. And why it ended. And why I would never go back."

"Which was all kinds of fine and dandy when you and Billy were on different sides of the ocean. But now he's here….spending long hours alone with you every day. That changes everything."

"Steve isn't the jealous type."

"So the two of you keep saying. But respectfully…you are 100% wrong about that."

"I don't think I am. I've always worked around a lot of men. Steve understands that."

"But see…here's the problem, Catherine. There's a difference between working around a lot of men and working around one man who is determined to get with you."

"What do you want me to say, Danny? That I'll quit? This job is a great opportunity for me."

"There's a big world out there., Catherine. I find it next to impossible to believe you couldn't have found a job that didn't involve your good looking ex-boyfriend."

"I probably could have." Catherine took a deep breath. "My CO talked to a couple of headhunters when I told him I was considering leaving the Navy. In fact that's how Billy found out. One of the guys knew he was trying to staff a new agency and mentioned my name. But anyway, my CO showed me a list of companies that were looking to hire and a lot of the jobs would have involved spending weeks, or possibly months, at a time on the mainland. I wasn't interested in that. Being able to put down some kind of roots is one of the main reasons I was considering leaving the Navy. I like being here full-time. I like being with Steve full-time."

"You mean because he's yooouuuurrrrr…"

"What?"

"Say it. Go ahead…say it. Boyfriend. It's just one word."

"You are such a girl."

"You know Aunt Deb cornered me at Thanksgiving and told me you introduced yourself to her as Steve's friend. She even did the little air quotes thing when she said the word friend. She wanted to know what the heck was up with that."

"Really? I thought she liked me."

"She did like you. A lot. Which is why she asked. She wanted to make sure she hadn't misread the situation between the two of you."

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth. That the two of you are insane and have trouble using simple words. She seemed to accept that. Which may not bode well for the potential of insanity hiding in the McGarrett family tree. But that's a subject for another time. And a team of psychiatrists and trained professionals. For right now..let's get back to what you were saying...some of the jobs would have required travel. I get your lack of interest there. And let me just pause to say that….on a personal level….I'm glad you didn't take one of those. Because I like having you around full-time to share the McGarrett wrangling duties. "

Catherine laughed. "My CO told me that one headhunters told him I'd be able to name my price because a lot of people here on the island would pay big money to have a direct line to Steve."

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

"Well clearly those people are idiots."

"Thanks. I just didn't want my first real civilian job to be something I got because of who my….boyfriend…. is."

"There you go. Was that so hard?"

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Seriously, I don't like the idea of being seen as leverage. Not to mention it would put Steve in a really bad position."

"I get that."

"Maybe it's the fact that this last stretch that I've been stationed at Pearl is the longest period of my adult life I ever stayed in one place. The thought of another deployment made me sick to my stomach. I knew it was time to make some choices about where my life is going."

"I know how hard changes like this are, Catherine. I swear I'm not trying to make your life more difficult."

"I know you aren't. Heading Billy's Intel Department is a great opportunity for me to establish myself in the private sector. That's all there is to it."

"Did you tell Steve all this?"

"Yes."

"And did the two of you talk about it?"

"In our own way, we did."

"See….I worry about what 'in our own way' means." Danny smiled. "You do realize that there are some couples who actually use their words and don't talk in this weird code you two use?"

"I guess, but where's the fun in that?"

Danny just shook his head.

"Look, Steve and I are in a good place. Our relationship is solid. We may not have discussed those things in long, flower-y, schmoopy prose but we have discussed them. Steve trusts me, Danny. Why can't you?"

"I do trust you, Catherine. Implicitly. But Billy….is another story. He pings my guy-dar like crazy."

"Your guy-dar?"

"Yeah. It's like a spidey sense. It's one of those things that only guys can see in other guys. I just don't think he's the harmless, slightly lovesick do-gooder you seem to think he is."

"Well I think in this case your guy-dar is malfunctioning. You should have that checked."

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think the more you and Steve talk…in your own unique way of course…because heaven forbid you do anything the easy way….for my sake if not for your own….about defining your relationship..the less able he is to hide his jealousy."

"Steve can handle Billy."

"That's what I'm afraid of. That someday he will decide to do just that and I'll have to bail his ass out of jail. Or help him get rid of the body. Which I would do…of course…but I'm hoping to head things off before they get that far. Please promise me you'll keep an eye on things."

"I promise."

"Ok, but just in case, I will too."

"I figured."

Danny still thought Catherine working for Billy was a bad idea but he felt a little better knowing she wasn't blind to what was going on.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Danny?"

"I'm not sure I feel completely comfortable with you sticking your nose in my personal life, Catherine."

"Very funny."

"Go ahead. Ask away."

"Why do you feel so strongly about this? I mean, I know you care about Steve. And, trust me, it makes me feel better every day knowing you're watching his back. But it's more than that. You've been supportive of me, and my relationship with Steve, right from the start. Why?"

"Now who's being girly?"

"I'm serious."

Danny sighed. "When I told my friend Tommy I was gonna ask Rachel to marry me, he told me to take some time and think about it before I did anything 'stupid'. I asked him what the hell he meant by that and he said flat out he thought me marrying Rachel would be a mistake."

"Did he say why?"

"I asked him that….because I was under the impression he liked Rachel…and he said he did like Rachel…very much….but what he didn't like was me….with Rachel in my life."

"What did he mean?"

"He said I was different since Rachel and I had gotten together. That I was edgy and unhappy. That I was giving up all the things I liked and getting involved in the things she liked."

"There's some of that in every relationship. It's called compromise."

"Right. But Tommy thought I was the only one compromising. He accused me of giving up who I was to be who Rachel wanted me to be. I told him he was crazy. That he was just jealous. I proposed to Rachel anyway and the rest is history."

"I'm sorry, Danny."

"Don't be. However crappily my marriage ended up I got Grace out of the deal so it was more than worth it. The reason I even told you that story….you ask me why I was all in on your relationship with Steve from the start?"

"Right."

"Because I like the person Steve is with you in his life. You're good for him. And the fact that I like you too is an incredible bonus."

"Danny…" Catherine blinked back tears.

"I remember the first time you were here on leave after Steve and I started working together. We got called into work on a Saturday morning…"

"I remember."

"I was pissed off that my weekend with Grace was ruined so I found it a little extra annoying that Steve….who up to that point I had not identified as what I would call a cheerful person….actually looked happy. Really, genuinely happy. I thought maybe it was just about...pardon me for being indelicate….him getting into some Barry White if you know what I mean. But I figured out pretty fast it was more than that. This wasn't some guy doing the big cazzo strut. It was much deeper.

It finally penetrated my thick skill that that particular silly smile, and that particular happy attitude, had your name written all over it."

"Thank you, Danny. That's…well….it's really nice to hear."

"Even though I can probably count on one hand the number of in person conversations you and I had in those first two years, I learned everything I needed to know about you by watching Steve. It didn't take long to figure out that you didn't need to physically be here on the island to have an effect on him. Just a phone call, hell just a text, and he was wearing that goofy smile for hours. I have a little secret to tell you."

"What's that?"

"Some of those times he called you for a favor?"

"Yeah."

"He really just missed you. We could have gotten the info we needed without your Navy voo-doo."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Catherine confided.

"Sure."

"I knew that."

Danny smiled.

"And you know something else," Catherine continued.

"What?"

"Some of the times I told him that I needed to check a few things and I'd have to call back later?"

"You were really just looking for an excuse to call him back later," Danny guessed.

"You really ARE a good detective, " Catherine smiled brightly.

"Through all the long separations, the different time zones, the crazy flights halfway around the world just to see each other for 48 hours, his crazy job, your crazy job, the reappearance of Doris and on and on with all the insanity that has been your lives over the last 4 years….there was never one minute when I didn't know for a fact that Steve is happier, more at peace and more complete with you in his life."

"That is quite possibly the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," Catherine sniffled, wiping away tears.

Danny smiled then immediately looked for a way to stop the tears. Crying women were something he could not deal with. "I saw Tommy in a bar right before I came to Hawaii. I told him all about what had happened between Rachel and me. You know what he said?"

"What?"

"He said 'I told you so'."

"So what you're saying then is Tommy was a bit of an ass."

Danny laughed. "Yes he was. But he also had a point. A good relationship makes me you a better, stronger, happier, more secure person. So before I even really got a chance to know you I liked you. Because you made Steve all those things."

"Okay we have to stop. I'm afraid you're actually going to start ovulating if you get any girlier," Catherine laughed, trying to lighten the moment.

"Of course once you finally got assigned here full-time, I realized that you are the same level of crazy as SEAL boy. I mean I don't know why I'm surprised. Of course he would pick someone as insane as he is. Who else could put up with him?"

"Who else could put up with me?"

"Billy would like to try."

"Danny…"

"I'm just gonna say one more thing on the issue then I'll shut up."

"Okay."

"You and Billy broke up what….five years ago?"

"Yeah."

"It's not like it was 6 months ago and the wound is still fresh. Five years is a long time to carry a torch. I find it hard to believe he's gonna give it up in a matter of weeks."

"I'll keep that in mind, Danny. But like I said, I can handle Billy."

"But if you need help…"

"I'll call you.

"Sure why not. Every rom com needs a sidekick/best friend. I'll be like Jason Lee in Chasing Amy."

"No, not like Chasing Amy, Danny. Because in that movie the girl ends up coming between the two best friends. And it isn't even a rom com because the couple doesn't end up together. And even though the best friends kind of make up in the end ….still no. "

"What is it with the two of you and your inability to just let a metaphor stand without picking it apart."

"I'm just saying, Danny."

The door to the conference room opened and Steve walked in. "Hey, what are you two up to?"

"Catherine came to take you to lunch." Danny used air quotes when he said the word lunch, then got up and headed for the door.

"Excellent," Steve smiled.

"And Danny passed the time while we waited telling me about his favorite rom coms."

"Oh did he?"

"Yes. I think he bribes Gracie to say she wanted to watch them when really he's the closet rom com-aholic."

"I've always suspected as much," Steve said as he dropped down into an empty chair beside Catherine and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Danny pushed back from the table, stood up and headed for the door.

"You know what? The two of you….are perfect for each other."

He tugged the door open a little harder than necessary.

The sound of Steve and Catherine's laughter rang in his ears as he yelled over his shoulder. "I'm going to find Chin so I can a nice, normal conversation for a change."

But he couldn't help smiling to himself as he headed down the hall.

Perfect for each other indeed.


End file.
